


From the Other Side

by CoffeeJay



Series: Rare Pairs and Requests [6]
Category: Hetalia: Axis Powers
Genre: Alternate Universe, Dancing, Inspired by West Side Story, M/M, One Shot, Teenage Drama, Unless people decide they can't live without more of this
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-08
Updated: 2019-12-08
Packaged: 2021-02-26 00:28:11
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 925
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21714559
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CoffeeJay/pseuds/CoffeeJay
Summary: Feliciano had hoped his brother wouldn't cause a scene at the dance, but when the Sharks and Jets collide, friction is inevitable.  The night isn't a total loss.
Relationships: Germany/North Italy (Hetalia)
Series: Rare Pairs and Requests [6]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1058018
Comments: 8
Kudos: 18





	From the Other Side

Feli had been having a good time, until now.

Despite the near suffocating heat of the gymnasium, Feliciano had danced at least a dozen songs in a row. Of course, Antonio had monopolized most of his dances. They were to be married. It was to be expected. If Feli had been relieved when Lovino had pulled Antonio aside to hatch some scheme, he didn’t have to tell anyone.

So he had quite enjoyed himself swinging around on the arms of strangers, acquaintances, friends of his. He had danced until he exhausted himself, and then he had danced a little more. Finally, he had collapsed somewhere near the punch bowl to try to catch his breath.

The current song was winding down, and the ensuing stillness gave him a moment to take a better look at all the dancers. It didn’t at all surprise him to find the dance floor divided nearly evenly in half.

On one side, the Sharks, his brother’s gang. Lovino very likely would have been dancing with the rest of the gang had he not been snickering in a corner with Antonio, his closest friend. There was trouble in their eyes. Feli hoped they wouldn’t cause a scene.

But then, there were the Jets, and where the Jets went, trouble followed. He could easily pick out their leader from the undulating crowd. With his red eyes and ivory skin, he tended to draw looks-- not that his loud mouth didn’t do that anyway. He was dancing with some blonde in a way that might have been provocative had it not been so silly.

The two sides kept apart, kept to themselves, hardly mingled except to look down their noses at one another. Caught in the middle of the two sides was Feliciano, sipping his punch and wondering vaguely when he might be able to go home. 

The song ended. Lovino and Antonio rushed to center stage, where the crowd cleared to give them space. Feliciano was about to worry about a fight, but then the next song flared into action, and the pair broke into some of the flashiest, most obnoxious dancing Feliciano had ever seen. He had been too tired to join anyway, but any residual desire to dance had vanished with their display. 

Before he could so much as roll his eyes at them, the leader of the Jets broke into the circle with his partner, determined to steal the spotlight. Lovino’s gang jeered, but a few more couples stormed the floor to reassert the Sharks’ dominance of the dance. In a matter of seconds, the two sides were dancing very pointedly at each other, sending one clear message: we’re better than you’ll ever be. It was nothing but a childish taunt. The dancing might have been impressive, were it not so mulish, and Feliciano wanted nothing to do with it.

Feli wondered again how long it might be before Antonio stopped gloating and took him home already, if this ridiculous battle would end after just one song, or whether it would simply keep going, on and on, outside the gymnasium and into the streets, forever and always until both sides had worn each other down and nobody would admit having lost.

It was difficult to watch. Everybody seemed to be dancing this hateful dance, everybody except Feli.

And the stranger across the gym.

They locked eyes, and Feli was struck by how sharp the other’s gaze was. It was absolutely magnetic. He hadn’t realized he had been gravitating towards him until he found himself close enough to notice the blue of his eyes, the serenity in the way he held himself.

“I’m a little scared to go out into that mess,” joked the stranger. “I might get trampled.”

“It really is a mess, isn’t it?” Feli laughed. He didn’t know why he was laughing, but the stranger was smiling, too, and that felt good, so he laughed again. “You know, we could use the buddy system. Maybe then we won’t get lost out there.”

“Are you asking me to dance?” said the stranger, eyebrows shooting up towards his slick blonde hair.

Feli offered him his hand and a grin, and that was all the answer the stranger needed.

The battle ebbed when a slower tune drifted over them, but Feli hardly noticed. They could have danced to anything. They danced for an eternity. It wasn’t enough. They chatted all the while. His name was Ludwig, and the leader of the Jets was his best friend-- although they were more like brothers for how long they had known each other. And he agreed with Feli! They were all making fools of themselves, dancing like that, dancing like they wanted to stomp each other into the ground.

When Ludwig and Feli danced together, it wasn’t like that at all. It was slow, and sweet, and curious.

He wanted it to never stop.

“Hey, don’t you know he’s engaged?” 

Their little world shattered under Lovino’s voice. Lovino took Feli by the arm, dragged him away, chastised him, telling him he needed to be more careful about keeping better company, but Feli didn’t hear any of it. He was too caught up in those blue eyes watching him leave, those arms he wanted to feel around him again and again, too encapsulated in the sudden realization that he needed to see him again, as soon as possible--

\--and then, stunned by one last revelation, one that would keep him up not only that night, but many, many more.

Feliciano had fallen in love. 

**Author's Note:**

> I don't intend to continue this, but I might be convinced! I do take requests here, or at hetaliapurgatory.tumblr.com/ask .


End file.
